HAPPY TURTLES – These turtles look happy to be, er, playing at Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus. A group of Bergen County residents was enjoying nature recently when they caught these photos of an elaborate ritual (see briefs). Elaine Raine of Clifton snapped this particular photo. Have nice local photos? Send to editorial@hudsonreporter.com up to three photos attached as .jpgs to each email.

Mayor Nicholas Sacco asks township seniors to save the date for the Annual Senior Citizen Picnic to be held on Wed., Sept. 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Schuetzen Park in the main ballroom. The event is for North Bergen seniors only. Attendees must present their senior card or proof of residence.

Amazing animals can be found in Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus

A group of Bergen County nature lovers recently snapped several photos of snapping turtles – of course – in Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus. They wanted to describe what they saw.

Mickey Raine writes about what his wife and others witnessed: “They were of fairly decent size snapping turtles engaged in a very violent mating ritual. The male was very aggressive, and would practically run its powerful claws across the head of the mate and sometimes bite hard on the circular flap of thick skin on the neck that goes around the head. The pair would move in quick bursts, then suddenly slow the pace and exude signs of gentle behavior, before returning, once again, to the extremely violent and aggressive practice. This continued for awhile, and due to the rapid, bolt-like movements, it was difficult to capture shots as clearly as [my wife Elaine] wanted; however, I believe that they came out quite nicely. When I asked about the animals’ length, she said that they had to be at least 16 to 18 inches with just the shell. Then, when considering the long tails and neck, ultimately, the total length would be well into the 30-plus-inch range.” But that’s not really what matters, right?

Send your interesting photos of local life in Hudson County to editorial@hudsonreporter.com, and put your town in the subject head.

Bird and fowl walk this week at Meadowlands

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and Bergen County Audubon Society are sponsoring their “Third-Tuesday-of-the Month Walk” on May 21. This free, two-hour stroll of Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus features raptors, waterfowl, and late spring migrants. Attendees should meet at the marsh entrance at 10 a.m. (Directions are on meadowblog.net in the left-hand column. Also check there for last-minute weather updates.) Participants are requested to sign a standard liability release good for NJMC/BCAS events throughout the year. To RSVP, contact Don Torino of the BCAS at greatauk4@aol.com.